Founder, COSEND & Holy Goats
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About Holy Goats
Discover the story, mission, and people behind sustainable goat businesses that transform communities in Kenya's bush regions.
Our Story
Holy Goats began with a simple question: “How can we help communities here in a way that is sustainable, not dependent?”
In early 2024, COSEND (the parent organization of Holy Goats) founder Nathan Hammond flew into a rugged landing strip in northern Kenya’s Baringo County. There he met local pastors, a Kenyan missionary named Mike, and community leaders from a remote Pokot valley—home to tens of thousands of people with no school, no hospital, no reliable water source, and no church.
As they sat together at a simple table, a young man from the community, Tico, shared an idea: if pastors had goats, they could build wealth that could be passed down and multiplied. That conversation became the spark that grew into Holy Goats—a cooperative goat business model designed to lift pastors, churches, and entire communities.
Nathan came from a very different world—two decades as a high school German teacher and founder of two education technology companies. After selling one of his companies in 2023, he sensed God leading him into something “upside down”: using goats, not software, to build sustainable, pastor-led businesses in one of the most remote regions on earth.
About COSEND and Holy Goats
Holy Goats is the flagship COSEND project, currently running in Kenya and preparing to expand to more bush locations in other countries.
COSEND stands for…
COSEND stands for Co-operative Sustainable Economic and New-life Development.
Founded by Nathan in 2024, COSEND exists to design and launch cooperative, sustainable businesses that:
- Empower local Christian leaders.
- Generate long-term, self-sustaining income.
- Fuel holistic community transformation.
Mission
Holy Goats exists to lift bush churches, pastors and communities and to boost self-funding through sustainable, self-replicating, and scalable goat businesses.
Vision
Our long-term vision is bold and simple:
- Start 100 goat businesses over roughly 15 years.
- Lift 1,000 pastors and churches through sustainable income.
- Manage 150,000 goats worth more than 8 million USD.
- Fund 500 evangelistic events.
- Establish 100 new bush churches among the unreached.
- Generate over 1 million USD annually in recurring funds for schools, clinics, church buildings, water wells, and other high-impact community projects—under the leadership of local churches and the Kenyan COSEND foundation (the parent organization of Holy Goats)
We believe God is able to do more than we can ask or imagine. Holy Goats is our “five loaves and two fish” offered to Him—and we are already seeing Him multiply it.
Where We Work
Holy Goats focuses on Kenya’s semi-desert areas or arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL)—often called “the bush.” These regions cover about 80% of Kenya’s landmass and are home to roughly 30% of the population. Early research has identified around 100 additional hubs of pastors that appear to have the right conditions needed for a Holy Goats Business to be successful.
Northern Baringo County
Pokot community – first pilot, 1,500 goats.
Samburu County
Second pilot, around 1,000 goats among multiple pastors.
Kilifi County
Third pilot, launching with about 500 goats among approximately 20+ pastors.
Leadership
Meet the team leading Holy Goats forward
Mike
Kenyan Missionary & Field Leader
Mike is a second-generation Kenyan who serves as a key field leader for Holy Goats, working closely with pastors, communities, and local authorities.
Dr. Paul Juma
Senior Vet & Goat Specialist
Dr. Juma is a Kenyan veterinarian and veterinary surgeon who volunteers his expertise to Holy Goats.
Nathan Hammond
Founder, COSEND & Holy Goats
Nathan grew up as a missionary kid and has lived and done mission work in multiple countries, including China, Ukraine, and Argentina. After serving 20 years as a high school German teacher, he accidentally became an entrepreneur, launching two education technology companies, selling one and retiring early in 2023.
Nathan brings together a love for global missions, a heart for pastors, and the strategic mindset of a startup founder. He and his family (including seven children, three of them adopted) are passionate about following God’s lead.
Mike
Kenyan Missionary & Field Leader
Mike is a second-generation Kenyan with a deep love for bush communities. He has served as a missionary, spending a significant portion of his time in remote regions, discipling pastors and helping local churches flourish. Mike serves as a key field leader for Holy Goats, working closely with pastors, communities, and local authorities.
Dr. Paul Juma
Senior Vet & Goat Specialist
Dr. Juma is a Kenyan veterinarian and veterinary surgeon who grew up in a remote village similar to the communities Holy Goats now serves. He is a national trainer and lecturer, a leader in goat artificial insemination, and the founder of a government AI center for goats. As a committed believer, he volunteers his expertise to Holy Goats.
Together with local pastors and the Kenyan COSEND Foundation, these leaders help ensure that each Holy Goats business is run with integrity, transparency, and long-term sustainability.